Channels with Peter Kafka What Happens When a “Succession” Writer Takes on Silicon Valley
26 snips
Apr 8, 2026 
Jonathan Glatzer, TV writer/showrunner behind Succession and Better Call Saul and creator of AMC’s The Audacity, discusses setting a drama in Silicon Valley that centers people, not tech. He covers privacy and data worries, the gap between tech promises and reality, class and status around sudden wealth, AI’s nuanced role, and the practicalities of making prestige TV today.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
People Not Platforms Drive The Audacity
- The show is set in Silicon Valley but focuses on the people living around tech rather than the technology itself.
- Jonathan Glatzer researched the culture for weeks and chose diverse foreground characters like a tech wannabe and a psychiatrist to explore human effects.
Real World Events Mirrored In The Script
- Coincidences from real life crept into the writing, including an AI therapy bot storyline that became news after the pilot was written.
- Glatzer also wrote a wildfire scene days before his own house burned in the Altadena fires.
Tech Promises Versus Tangible Change
- Glatzer's critique: tech promised lowering barriers, tolerance, climate help and education but has largely failed on many fronts.
- He frames Silicon Valley's narrative as persuasive cultural brainwashing that makes everyday life feel dependent on apps.